Mercy
by Un-Ended Tales
Summary: What if Excalibur had a twin? Where would Merlin have to go to get it and who will he meet along the way? Please read and review. Rated T because I am paranoid. Extra chapter added.
1. Mercy

**Disclaimer: BBC owns Merlin, not me. I only own my OCs. **

**Please read the entire story and tell me if I should make a prequel. The pole is on my profile.  
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Mercy

The particles in the air started to come together forming an almost solid figure. Slowly a face and then a body materialized out of thin air. You could still see the stones of the wall when you looked through the slowly forming being but the details weren't as prominent. The creature was neither beautiful nor ugly. It resembled a young girl with flowing locks that were once the colour of gold. Though Merlin knew the creature would not and could not harm him, it's phantom like presence disturbed him and sent a shiver up his spine.

When it spoke it spoke with not only one voice. Though the more prominent voice was that of a young girl, which matched her appearance, underneath you could hear the cackling voice of one much older then the frail child before him. Her inhuman voices made Merlin take a small step back. "Why have you summoned me here _boy_?" It said boy as if it were the vilest word in the dictionary.

The shock of what had transpired before him was slowly wearing off so it took him a moment to answer. The eyes of the creature bore into Merlin as it waited patiently for him to come up with an acceptable response. Gathering his wits he tried to answer with the most confident voice he could muster. "I need your help." At this the figure before him smiled. If the creature wasn't frightening before it surely was know. "Is that so?" She said very slowly, articulating every word. "What ever for?" The sarcastic tone in her voice was unmistakable.

Merlin fidgeted where he stood wondering now if this was the best option he could have chosen. He could feel her eyes on him as he formed the words in his now dry mouth. "It is said there was a sword forged here."

Her laugh was cold and piercing. "There were many swords forged here in the castle of Shades." He looked at the floor once more before he continued. "There was one sword more powerful then all the rest." He continued slowly looking up to meet the other being's eyes as her fragile shape flowed back and forth like a flag in the wind that wasn't there. "It has been known through the ages by many names but it was originally called Kadee meaning pure." The smile that once occupied the apparitions face vanished as he spoke the name. Her eyes narrowed. "That is true." She said warily, eyeing Merlin. "What is it to you?" He swallowed finally coming to the question he had been putting off. "Can you tell me where it is?"

He cringed slightly as sparks of red danced across her eyes, the fury that contorted her features was monstrous. She moved as quick as lightning until she was only inches from his face, her breath was like ice against his skin. "How dare you ask me where Kadee sleeps! I have heard of you. You, prophesized as the hero of your people, the one destined to bring back the magic. But I can see through the lies. I lost the luxury of being naïve long ago. Yes you may be the one prophesized to be our salvation but…" She trailed off her eyes loosing focus and what appeared to be tears formed, teetering over the rims of her eyes. She took a deep breath trying to control her anger. "I know why you seek the sword. Do you know why the swords name changed through the ages? It was because you humans tainted it with your lust for power. It was meant to bring purity back to this land but your kind stole it from us believing that it could bring you whatever you desired. Tell me how can it fulfill its destiny if its bearers will not fulfill theirs?"

The silence was like needles in the dark picking at his brain. Merlin had no answer for her. He understood her anger. Mankind had stolen the blade for wealth and glory. The ones who stole it tricked its guardians, promising to use it only for the good of all. But they only thought of themselves and their kind. They lashed out at the other creatures that inhabited the world driving them away. They may have thought what they were doing was for the good of all but that wasn't true and Kadee new that. Its full power was locked away waiting for the time when a true hero would come to claim it and to lead others into the light.

"The time you are waiting for may not come for a long time but I promise you we will do all we can to purify this land once more." Her expression softened a little at his words then she moved away from him and floated up towards a high stone window where the moonlight shone right through her. She looked longingly over the only place on the earth that showed proof that her time had existed. The castle of Shades had been abandoned hundreds of years ago but it still stood tall. It was once one of the most beautiful places on earth. The ghosts of the past still wandered the hallways. She was one of the only ones who had not yet lost their mind to the darkness that had overtaken her home.

Her mind had almost been consumed by the darkness that very morning as she was sitting in her usual alcove, but a voice calling out somewhere in the castle had woken her. She had immediately turned herself invisible in order to investigate. As she drifted down one of the dark hallways she could feel the air getting warmer. She inhaled deeply. It was faint, but she could taste it on the air. Whispers seemed to scurry up and down the walls. Rumors of a visitor, and not just any visitor. This visitor was alive.

She had followed the scent of life down the hallways, holding up her skirts as she ran, just like she used. She ran until she had come to the abandoned throne room. The doors still stood tall, but the paint had faded. Slowly she had reached out to stroke the cracked paint, but nothing met her fingers. Not the flaking paint or the smooth wood from one of the oak trees that had once stood in the forest a days ride down from the castle. Not for the first time the apparition felt herself thinking of the times when she could touch and feel. She had not felt anything for a hundred years.

The sound of solid feet on stone had woken her from her reveries. The thought of seeing a living being excited her and without hesitation she passed through the doors. There wandering around the room was a living being. Silently she glided across the floor until she was standing just behind the man. He was tall and had raven hair. She followed close behind him as he made is way into the center of the room. For a moment he stood there silently, tapping his boot as if to a song that only he could hear. The tapping stopped abruptly. She watched as the young man straitened himself and began to speak in a strange language. To many it would have seemed as if he were speaking absolute gibberish. The young ghost too would have thought so if a tingling sensation had not taken over her entire body. Wishing to be rid of it she quickly put as much distance between the young warlock and herself. But her attempts to leave to room was foiled. Whatever he was murmuring was making it impossible for her to leave the room at all.

If it were possible for a ghost, the young girl slunk, in defeat, to a spot in front of the young warlock. She stared daggers at him, waiting for the last words of the spell to be spoken. The magic he was wielding was forcing her out of her invisible state. The one thing that she had control over was being taken away, and she did not like it. Who was this living creature that thought he had the right to force a phantom into the light? And then it dawned on her. Throughout her ghostly existence there had only been five people powerful enough to enchant her kind. Three of the five were dead. One had been imprisoned and the last...

No, it couldn't be. Why would he come here? To this forsaken place. The most powerful man to ever live. Emrys.

Her recollection of the past was short lived as she came back to the present. Finding that she was still staring out the window that looked over a land that would never return to the way it had once been.

"The others promised the same thing." She murmured, almost to herself. "What makes your claim any different?" Her gaze slowly moved to meet his. "I take it you already have Kadee's twin, Excalibur, the two swords that were once one. Do you truly believe their power will help to unite Albion? I know what you are going to do and I warn you it will not end the way you think."

"Yes, that is what I believe. How will it end?" He saw sadness cross the face of the floating girl and he knew the answer was not good so he tried another question. "So will you tell me where it is?" She slowly came down until her face was level with his.

"Will you make the oath?" Her second voice was not as gruff as before but more gentle and wise. "Swear on what you value the most and promise me you will not stray from this path that you have chosen, that you will carry out your destiny." Merlin stood up straight looking her in the eyes and with confidence he spoke. "I swear." She questioned his answer for only a second but seeing that his mind, his heart and his soul believed his words she relented. Finally she was starting to see the true form of Emrys and his unwavering loyalty to his king. This time her smile was soft but not altogether happy. "I believe you." She said. "The sword is hidden in a tree in the forest of Souls. The tree bares the mark of the hourglass. You will know it when you see it. Be carful, Kadee will not bend to your will easily. Combining the two swords is a difficult task." She looked him up and down as he took in this information, as if she were inspecting him. "You are everything the prophecy said you would be. The hero you are meant to be, because of this I will warn you. For all your hard work you will receive a hero's fate and it is inescapable like all other fates. But yours will be worse then most and for that I am sorry. You have a kind soul and this is not what you deserve."

A lump formed in Merlin's throat. Somewhere deep down he had known this from the start. He swallowed hard trying to hide the quiver in his voice. "I know." He said simply but it meant much. "If you do as you promise your fate is sealed but… If you promise me one more thing." She paused. "What?" He asked, the hope showing in his eyes. Even the ones spoken of in prophesies can still act human. She would have thought him strange if he had not grasped at the chance of a longer like. A chance she had never been granted.

She reached out one of her frail hands and tried to take his, for a moment forgetting what she was. Merlin shivered at her touch, but her hand went right through his. "Promise me that just before your task is done and only in your greatest moment of need call upon me." Her mistake did not cause her to miss a beat. With a wave of her snow-white hand she conjured a small marble with flowing colors. "Hold this in your hand and whisper my name. Will you swear to do this?"

"I swear." He said again. She gestured for him to take the small object. He reached out and took it as gently as he could, afraid that it might shatter in his hand and, as carefully as he could, placed it in his pocket.

The apparition turned away from Merlin and began to float away towards the window. "But I do not know your name." He cried. She turned around once more. The smile on her face was genuine. Suddenly she rushed towards him and disappeared in a wave of fog as she crashed into him. He took a step back. A sudden rush of cold, as if he was plunging into a mountain river, washed over him. It was a feeling that was a cross between good and evil, and a sensation he never wanted to feel again. But it left as quickly as it had come and he was alone once more in the dark throne room. The girls last whisper still lingering in the cold night air. She had uttered just one name, Clemence. It meant mercy.

**Clemence is the Roman goddess of pity.**

**Thank you for reading and please review. **

**Should I make a prequel?**


	2. Blessed

**Thank you Miss Enthusiasimal for inspiring me to write another chapter.**

Blessed

Merlin fled the castle of shades in a hurry. Looking back he swore he could see several pale faces staring out at him through the broken windows. A shiver went through him as he remembered the sensation of one of them passing through him.

Merlin's horse was waiting for him just outside the gates to the city. He would have brought it in further but the horse had become skittish and had refused to cross the threshold. The look in the horse's eyes had been enough for Merlin to decide not to push it. If Merlin had not needed to go inside in order to find out the whereabouts of Excalibur's twin he too would have stayed outside. The place looked dead, with moss growing over the walls. There was not one window that wasn't broken in the entire place.

A dark shadow had been cast over this place, the shadow of a tragedy that happened too long ago for anyone alive to remember. The walls seemed to scream at Merlin to go away. Whatever was inside was not for the living, but Merlin ignored the screams and proceeded to enter.

Merlin was glad to be riding away from the castle of Shades, but he was not too excited at the thought of traveling to the forest of Souls. If it was anything like the castle had been… it did not bare thinking of.

The forest was a day's ride from the castle and the sight of it almost made Merlin want to turn back and ride for Camelot right there and then. But it was the thought of Camelot that pushed Merlin forward. Camelot needed his help and the help of Kadee. Morgana was trying once again to take over Camelot. But they had managed to strike a deal with her this time.

Arthur already had Excalibur but Gaius had told them of its twin Kadee. Excalibur had once been apart of Kadee. So they agreed that whomever the swords chose would be the rightful King or Queen of Camelot. If it chose Morgana, Arthur would agree to step down from the throne and let Morgana rule in his place. But if Arthur were chosen then Morgana would have to stop her attempts at taking Camelot and leave, never to return.

The ever-confident Morgana had agreed to these terms. So Merlin had been sent, alone, to retrieve the sword from its resting place.

Merlin did not trust Morgana to keep her word but he grabbed at the slight possibility that she would. With this in mind Merlin forced his feet to carry him through the forest of Souls. His horse, once again, had refused to accompany him. So he was forced to find the tree marked with the hourglass alone.

There had to be hundreds of trees in this forest. How was he supposed to find the one tree that protected Kadee while it slept? Taking his first step into the woods, a cold wind rushed over him, chilling him to the bone. He rapped his jacket further around himself.

The light that came through the branches of the, almost leafless, trees was dreary and foreboding. There didn't seem to be any signs of life other then himself. Merlin didn't want to think about why it was called the forest of Souls. The likelihood was that it was like the castle. What kind of souls would wander through these trees?

Merlin tried to get these wonderings out of his head by thinking of Camelot, but he was cut off when he heard a twig snap close by. He turned around just in time to see a ghostly foot disappear behind one of the trees. Merlin's curiosity got the better of him, and the fact that he didn't know where he was going in the first place. He decided to investigate, but when he peeked around the tree the ghost had disappeared behind he found nothing. Confused, Merlin did a scan of the woods but saw nothing.

He was just about to give up and return to his wanderings when the sound of another twig snapping sounded behind him. This time the snapping of the twig was accompanied by the giggle of a child. A child's laughter was supposed to lift the heart, but this one did nothing but bring a gulp to Merlin's throat. Yet he still decided that following it was a better plan then getting lost in the woods.

When he reached the spot where the giggling had come from the laughter started up again. It was leading Merlin deeper and deeper into the woods. He followed it until it suddenly stopped and did not start again. The part of the forest he was in looked exactly the same as the part where the twig had first snapped.

Merlin felt silly for following the child, and what did he get for his trouble, being even more lost. Looking around he tried to remember exactly which way he had come to get there, but everything looked the same and he hadn't paid close enough attention to where he was being lead. He decided to pick a random direction and just start walking. But he turned around too quickly. Running straight into a branch he could have sworn was not there before and, having his luck, he managed to knock himself out.

When he finally came to his head was throbbing and he felt disoriented. Using a nearby tree for support, Merlin pulled himself up. He lent against the tree for a moment and waited for the dizziness to go away.

When it was finally gone, Merlin pushed himself from the tree and tried to get his bearings. He was about to try his random direction method again when something on the tree he had been leaning on caught his eye. He crouched down in front of the tree to see that near the bottom someone had engraved a small hourglass. The carving was so small that he would have missed it had he continued on just wandering through the forest.

Clemence had told him that the tree that held Kadee bore the sign of the hourglass. Getting to his feet, Merlin inspected the tree for any signs of an opening, and found none. So he went back to the hourglass to see if it had any clues. When he touched the symbol a small shock ran up his right arm. He shook it off and, using one of his fingers, traced the small carving. It had surprising detail. When he came to the crisscross section in the middle something moved under his finger. Pulling away, Merlin inspected what had happened. He found that in the middle of the hourglass a piece of it had shifted inwards under the force of his finger. It was the only clue he had so he pushed on it again and slowly the piece moved and fell inwards to reveal a hidden keyhole.

Merlin needed to find the key to fit the lock so he started to rummage around the fallen leaves that surrounded the tree. But his efforts bore no fruit. He sat down with his hands behind himself to prop him up. He lent his head back to look up at the sky. The sun was beginning to go down. Suddenly he noticed something up in the tree was reflecting the light. At closer inspection Merlin managed to pick out the shape of a small key. It was hanging on a string from one of the branches.

There was no way to climb the tree so how did it get up there? Merlin dismissed the question. Without a second thought his eyes flashed gold and the string that held the key snapped, causing the key to fall to the ground. Merlin took the key and placed it in the keyhole. He turned it and heard a self-satisfying click. The outline of a small door appeared in the wood.

Using the key as a handle, Merlin opened the door and there, in the dark, was a sword. It was a beautiful sword, an exact copy of Excalibur. But something about this sword seemed different. Merlin reached out to take the blade. A sudden shock ran through him, larger then the first, as he took the blade from the tree. He gasped as screams and yells sounded in his head. The sound of metal against metal, like in a sword fight. Something wet ran down Merlin's cheeks. He reached up and realized he was crying. Why was he crying?

This blade had seen horrors and it had wept for the ones who had fallen. Merlin found that he could not stop crying. The emotions of the blade seemed to be running through him. A small, cold hand rested on his shoulder and he dropped the tainted metal. But he could not take his eyes from it, until a small figure knelt in front of him.

Merlin's wet eyes were met by those of a boy, the owner of the eyes looked at him with concern. "You must be more careful." The boy in front of him spoke with two voices, just like Clemence. The more prominent one was that of a small boy. The other was older, gentle and soothing. "Whoever touches the blade gets a taste of its past. Many would go mad from a single touch."

The tears finally stopped running down Merlin's face and he took in the sight of the boy. He was very young, but you could see right through him. A ghost, Merlin realized. "You are not this swords rightful owner." The boy continued. "You are not strong enough to handle its emotions." He reached forward to try and help Merlin get to his feet but his small hands went right through him. For a moment he looked confused then remembered that he could not touch anymore. So Merlin got onto his feet by himself.

"Are you the one who led me here?" He asked. The boy smiled.

"Yes. I was expecting you." The boy sighed. "Have been for a hundred years."

"How do you know I was the one you were waiting for?" Merlin asked.

"You are the first person to step into these woods in a hundred years. You are Emrys, aren't you?" The apparition looked Merlin up and down, now wondering if he had made a mistake.

"I am Merlin, but the druids call me Emrys." There didn't seem to be any harm in telling this boy what he was. His response brought the boy's smile back, now confident that he had not made a mistake.

"Finally." He breathed. "One can get bored waiting for a hundred years." He looked relieved, as if a great weight had been lifted from his shoulders. "She said you would come to bring this sword to its rightful owner."

"She, who is she?" Merlin asked.

"Clemence of course." The boy watched recognition cross Merlin's face. "Have you seen Clemence?" The ghost asked in hope.

"Yes, she is the one who sent me here. Do you know who this sword rightfully belongs to?"

"Not a clue." He shrugged. "How is Clemence, is she still here?"

"I saw her up at the castle. She seemed melancholy and angry."

"Really? She always used to be such a happy person." The boy's eyes seemed to lose focus for a moment as he remembered. He was only out for a moment before snapping back to reality. "Well I guess you need to get back don't you?" He said, clapping his hands together in finality.

"Yes, I guess I should." Merlin bent down to retrieve the sword but was stopped when the boy cried out.

"No don't touch it! Remember what happened last time." Merlin quickly stopped himself only a few inches from the metal's surface.

"Rap it in your coat." He suggested. Merlin reluctantly removed his coat, not wanting to give up his protection from the cold. Before rapping it around Kadee he took the marble Clemence had given him from one of the pockets and placed it in his pant pocket. The apparition's eyes seemed to zone in on its flowing colours.

"Did Clemence give that to you?" He asked.

"Yes, she said it was for my time of need."

"Here, then take this." The boy waved one of his snow-white hands and conjured another marble of the same size but different colours. "You will need more then one of us to help you where you are going. Have a safe journey back." He turned on his heals and began to walk away from Merlin.

"Wait won't I need to know your name?" Merlin reminded him.

"Oh right, of course." The boy seemed flustered for forgetting. "Its Benedict." Merlin almost didn't hear him as a large gust of wind came rushing through the trees. He closed his eyes to protect them from the dust that the wind had picked up. But when he opened his eyes again the boy was gone, his name still floating on the breeze, Benedict. It meant blessed.

**Thank you for reading. Please Review!**

**If you have any suggestions for where you want this story to go don't hesitate to tell me.**


	3. Powerful warrior

**Thank you Miss Enthusiasmial for the advise.**

Powerful Warrior

"Oh come on!" Merlin yelled at the sky as thunder clouds formed above him. "Why now, why not yesterday?" But his complaints did not deter the storm from its path towards him. "Oh no, don't listen to me. You just had to do it today!"

Merlin tried to urge his horse to go faster but the horse would have none of it. It was going to take them a little over a day to get back to Camelot if they didn't take any breaks. Merlin groaned as the rain finally caught up, drenching him. But with Camelot on his mind he forced himself forward through the storm.

The rain didn't let up for hours. Merlin was just about to give up and find some shelter when suddenly the rain stopped pounding down on him. But that didn't make any sense. He could still see the rain coming down all around him yet none of it touched him. Merlin looked around in confusion, trying to find the cause of his sudden protection from the storm.

He did not have to look far as a glow coming from his pocket caught his attention. He took out the two small marbles. One from Clemence, the other from little Benedict. The marbles seemed to be emitting warmth that spread through Merlin's body, drying him. The warmth was calming and for the first time since he had left Camelot the idea that everything was going to be alright filled him.

Merlin rotated the marbles in one of his hands. So many emotions flooded through him, like when he had held Kadee. But these emotions were different, these ones were happy and playful. Instead of screams he heard laughter. Instead of metal on metal, he heard wood on wood, as they only pretended to fight with swords. Merlin seemed to fall into the world of the past as its ghosts danced before him.

"Look sister, its raining." The sound of a boy calling came from Merlin's right. He turned his head to see a small boy pulling on the arm of his sister, perhaps a few years older then him. The boy pulled the girl into the rain. The sight of them playing and dancing in the rain warmed Merlin's heart. The girl squealed as the boy began to splash her with the water that had formed a puddle. The children were too far away for Merlin to make out their faces.

A yell came from somewhere in the distance. "Get out of the rain children, before you catch your death!" The children looked disappointed at their fun being cut short. But a grin soon replaced the frown on the girl's face. "I'll race you." Then she took off towards the sound of the voice, leaving the boy behind.

"Hey thats not fare, you got a head start." The boy complained as he tried to catch up with his sister. The voice that had called the children had come from somewhere past Merlin. The children's race caused them to run in his direction. As they got closer something about them seemed familiar.

"Come on Clemence." The boy cried. "Wait up!" Merlin gasped as the clues clicked into place and he recognized the children.

"Not on your life Ben!" Clemence called back to her younger brother. She giggled as she ran past Merlin and his horse. Time seemed to slow as Merlin watched her run by. She seemed so different from the Clemence he had met at the castle. This Clemence had a smile plastered on her face and she was laughing, her golden hair flying behind her as she ran. Looking at her know Merlin wondered what could have changed this happy girl into the solemn ghost that lurked the dark hallways of the castle of Shades.

Time resumed its normal speed and Clemence disappeared into the rain. Her voice was far away as she yelled. "I win!" Merlin watch Benedict cross the path in front of him. "Thats still not fare!" He called between giggles. Then he too disappeared into the rain.

So they were siblings. That explained Benedict's concern when Merlin told him how sad Clemence was. Water ran down Merlin's face, but it wasn't rain, it was tears. Merlin was crying for the second time that day. He cried for the children that would never grow old, never know what they had missed. They would never know what the world held for them. Merlin felt guilt fill him, as if he were the cause of the children's misfortune.

A quiet voice startled him from his remorse. "There is no need to cry. It will all be over soon." Looking up he thought he saw Clemence walking along side him but there was no one there. The words she had whispered to him were true. This would all be over soon, he hoped.

Merlin rode on towards Camelot. Several times he had found himself dozing off on his horse's back, lost for a few moments in the world of his dreams. But a bump in the rode would always wake him.

After a day and a half Merlin finally reached Camelot. It was quiet as everyone was waiting for him to return. He rode through the gates. Quickly he dismounted and made his way to the throne room. Merlin burst through the doors and found that everyone's eyes were on him. He then wished he had done it a little quieter.

"Did you find the sword?" Gaius was the first to speak. In response, Merlin hurried forward and placed his jacket, that held the sword, on a table in the middle of the room. For a moment everyone seemed perplexed. Why had Merlin placed his jacket on the table? But then Merlin began to slowly, and carefully remove his jacket to reveal the blade. The room gasped at how identical it was to the sword that hung from Arthur's side.

"What do we do now Gaius?" Merlin took control of the situation. Gaius quickly stepped forward.

"You must place Excalibur next to Kadee." He waved his hand to signal Arthur to step forward. Arthur unsheathed Excalibur and gently placed it on the table next to its twin.

For a moment there was nothing but silence as everyone waited to see what would happen. Just as they were all convinced that nothing would happen a small ringing sound erupted in the room. It echoed off the walls making it impossible to pinpoint where it was coming from. The sound grew louder and a few of Morgana's sorcerers dropped to their knees, holding their ears. They screamed as the ringing kept growing louder and more sorcerers dropped to their knees clutching their ears, Gaius was among them.

Soon even Morgana was affected by the noise. She screamed as she fell to her knees. "What is happening?" She yelled. "It hurts." It seemed as though every sorcerer in the room was being affected by this ringing noise.

Merlin suddenly cried out and too dropped to his knees. Arthur was immediately at his side. "Merlin, what's wrong?" He shook his friends shoulders, trying to get his attention. "It hurts." Merlin moaned.

"I don't understand. What is happening?" Arthur cried, knowing that no one would be able to answer his question. And then it stopped, as quickly as it had begun, it stopped. Everyone who was affected slumped to the side, gasping for air.

"Gaius what happened?" Arthur ran to help the old physician to his feet. Gaius merely shook his head.

"I know what happened." Morgana spoke up. "The swords need magic to reconnect, so they were taking it from the closest source of magic they could find. Us." It made sense. Then one fact that did not make sense suddenly came to Arthur's attention. He turned to Merlin.

"You have magic?" Merlin was speechless. There didn't seem to be a way to get out of this one. Before Arthur could push the question any further the two swords began to shine, drawing the attention of everyone in the room. Any questions people had were pushed to the side as the glow drew their gaze.

Excalibur was glowing a calm blue and Kadee was glowing blood red. Then the room seemed to explode in colour. Strands of it bounced around the room. There were so many of them that it was impossible to follow one of the strands for very long. The colours seemed to be trying to escape the room, to get as far away from the swords as possible. But the ringing started up once more and the same people as before dropped to their knees. They could feel their magic being sucked away from them.

The dancing colours were being pulled back towards the twin swords. They danced across the surface of the blades. Then the room was filled with a sudden flash of pure white light and for a moment everyone was blinded. When the light dimmed the ringing had stopped and there, in the middle of the room, a single sword was flouting.

Excalibur and Kadee had disappeared from the table and in their place was the most beautiful sword any of them had ever seen. Its handle was made of beautiful silver covered with intricate carvings of different magical beasts. The blade was made of black stone.

Gaius gasped as he recognized the sword. "The lost blade. Dima." He almost whispered.

"Dima?" Arthur asked.

"It means powerful warrior."

**Thank you for reading. Please review!**

**Sorry this one was a little shorter.**


	4. Come back to us

**Finals are over! (victory dance)**

**Sorry this chapter took so long to submit. Hope you enjoy it.**

Come back to us

Everyone's eyes were wide as they stared at Dima. The mere sight of it made it hard to look away. Kadee and Excalibur had been beautiful apart, but together they were mesmerizing.

Dima floated in the middle of the room, but it was too high off the ground for even the tallest person in the room to reach. How were they supposed to get to it?

"Now the trial begins." Morgana smirked as she took a step towards the sword. "Which one of us will be able to claim it?" She pondered aloud. "You'd need magic to be able to reach it." Merlin's eye's widened as he realized the answer to the problem, but this would be a challenge Arthur would have to face on his own. After all he now knew Merlin had magic.

Morgana's black dress dragged across the floor behind her as she walked slowly towards Dima. Her eyes were filled with triumph even though she hadn't even grasped the hilt yet. She stopped right under the sword, spoke a few words and her eyes flashed gold. Slowly Dima began to descend towards Morgana's outstretched hand. Her long, delicate fingers wrapped around the hilt.

Part of Merlin expected her to scream or start crying like he had when he had held Kadee. But the sound that met their ears was very different as Morgana began to laugh in triumph. "I have won!" She yelled. "Finally I will take my rightful place on the throne of Camelot. Sorry brother, but it seems you have finally lost."

No, this wasn't supposed to happen. Was this what Clemence meant when she said it would not end the way he thought?

Morgana took a few steps towards the previous king of Camelot. The smile on her face was frightening. "What are you going to do now Morgana, kill me?" Arthur stood tall, not preparing to back down.

"Oh, there is no need to worry. I do not plan to kill you. I want you to watch." She mocked.

"Watch what?"

"My first act as Queen." She said it as if it were obvious. "If I wish to become Queen I must remove the thorns." Merlin took a step back, realizing what she meant a few moments too late. Morgana lunged her right arm toward Merlin, pointing the tip of Dima at his chest. He took a step back. Arthur, seeing what his sister planned to do, tried to step in front of his manservant but Merlin pushed him away. He had come too far to let the prat throw his life away now.

The sound of thunder came from the sword as a bolt of red lightning shot out from the end. The bolt flew across the room towards its target. Small bits of it seemed to become detached as it shot threw the air. Smaller pieces of lightning bounced around the room. The other occupants of the hall ran to try and avoid being hit by the stray bolts, so there were only a few people who saw the original lightning meet its mark.

Merlin's chest burned in the place where it hit him. He thought about how ironic it was that it had hit in the same spot where Nimueh had with her ball of fire. He had killed her with lightning, so now he too must die by it.

His head cracked against the stone floor as he fell back. His blood pounded in his ears, making it hard to hear the screams of the people around him. No one else had been hit. Their eyes now fell to the still form that lay on the floor. They all knew Merlin in a way, some not as much. He was a part of Camelot. Now part of Camelot was dying.

Merlin felt himself being lifted slightly from the cold floor. Its coldness did not do much to put out the fire that burned through his body. His eyes met with those of an old friend. They were soft and filled with tears. Her curly dark hair fell over her shoulders, a few strands slightly tickling his face as she cradled him in her arms.

"Gwen." He breathed.

"Shhh. Merlin, don't talk." She stroked his hair gently.

She had been his first friend in Camelot so it was only fitting that she was there to see him go. Arthur too came into view. His lips were moving but no sound escaped them. The world was going dark around him, but through it he could still hear Morgana's fiendish laugh.

He was about to close his eyes when a warm sensation seemed to run through him, but this one did not burn. With one of his quivering hands he reached into his pocket and felt the smooth surface of the two marbles. With as much strength as he could spare, Merlin whispered the two names he had been given. "Benedict." He took a deep breath. "Clemence." After all this did seem to be his time of need.

"Finally the rose is rid of her thorn." Morgana cackled. But her cackling was cut off as a cool wind swept through the room. With any other wind Morgana would have kept laughing but this one felt different. It chilled her. It felt inhuman.

The wind picked up the dust on the floor in the hall, making it fly through the air. Two small twisters formed from the wind. They circled Merlin and his friends. Eventually they came to a stop. One was beside Merlin and the other had placed itself between the witch and the warlock.

The twisters died and the dust dropped to the ground. The air became dense and visible where the twisters had stood. Undefined forms seemed to appear out of thin air. There were hands, heads, and maybe some feet. One of the forms whispered a few inaudible words and the rest of the details came out.

The one standing next to Merlin had taken on the shape of a young boy and the other was a girl, a few years older then him.

The boy immediately dropped to Merlin's side. Arthur had to scramble out of the way so he would not pass through him. The girl gave Morgana a look of detest then turned on her heal to tend to her fallen friend. Arthur stood up and backed away to give them room, but Gwen would not relinquish her hold of Merlin.

"You waited too long." Clemence whispered in Merlin's ear. "For a moment I wasn't sure you would call. Hurry Ben; place your hands over his wound. We must keep him anchored here."

Everyone else looked on the two strangers in confusion. "Who are you?" Gwen asked.

"I'm Benedict, and this is my sister Clemence." He answered without looking up or taking his hands from Merlin's injury.

"Yes, but what are you?" Arthur was next to voice his inquiry. "And what are you doing?"

Clemence looked up from Merlin's pale face. "We have a few names." She stood so she could look Arthur in the eye as she spoke to him. "Phantoms, apparitions, ghosts, or one of my personal favorites. A shadow of the past." She took a few steps towards him. Her feet made no noise on the ground she walked on. "At the moment we are preventing your friend from leaving your world and entering ours. Keeping him in one place is easy, it's the bringing back part that is hard."

"What reason do you have to help him?"

"Repaying a dept. He took the oath. We are here to make sure he keeps it." Clemence looked back to Merlin's still face. "He promised."

"You can't do that." They had almost forgotten about Morgana and her army of sorcerers on the other side of the room. They turned to see her face full of furry. "I am finally rid of him and here you go trying to bring him back. I am Queen and I command that you cease your efforts at once."

Clemence's answer to her demands were simple, she began to laugh. Morgana took a step back. Her laugh was colder and more menacing then Morgana's ever could be.

"You? Queen?" Clemence continued to laugh.

"That was our agreement." Morgana tried to sound strong and defiant but the look the apparition was giving her, deep down, made her want to go and hide in a corner.

"Yes, it was." Clemence articulated. "An agreement you have not upheld."

"What, what are you talking about? Dima chose me."

"You are not the rightful ruler of Camelot, let alone all of Albion. It is not your destiny."

"How dare you speak to your Queen in such a manner?"

Red sparks danced across Clemence's eyes. Merlin knew the look well. In less then a second she was standing with her face only a few inches from Morgana's.

"How dare I? You are not my Queen!" She spat. "I knew as soon as you stepped through the gates to the castle of Shades that you were nothing."

"Wait, you said you had never heard of the castle of Shades." Arthur stepped forward. "That's why you sent Merlin. Unless you had already been there and were unsuccessful in finding Kadee." She tried to avoid his prying eyes. "You lied."

"As if I haven't before. And you know what Arthur, I think I've reconsidered my decision not to kill you." She lifted Dima and prepared to strike at her brother but was stopped by a cold hand wrapped tightly around her wrist. She looked up to see Clemence staring her down.

"But how?" She shrieked.

"Just because I am dead doesn't mean I don't have a few tricks up my sleeve. Even a ghost can use a little magic." Her grip tightened as she forced Morgana to her knees. "We have worked too hard and given up too much for you to destroy it now. Merlin promised that they would work to someday purify our lands once more. I don't want him to break his promise, do you?" Her grip tightened even more, causing Morgana to yelp. Then she released her grip and turned away and walked back towards Merlin.

Morgana rose to her feet. She clutched Dima in her hand and swiped at Clemence. But the Blade went right through her. Clemence stopped walking.

"Dima did not choose you did it?" She asked without turning around. Silence.

"Did it Morgana?" Benedict asked again.

"Morgana are you crying?" Arthur asked. Morgana touched her face. When she pulled her hand away it was wet. Confusion crossed her eyes. Then steam began to rise from her right hand, the one that still held Dima. She yelped in pain and finally dropped the sword.

"What is this magic?" She looked accusingly at Clemence, who's back was still to her.

"Kadee's reunion with Excalibur was enough to return it to its previous purity, but only for a moment. Kadee has seen horrors." Benedict explained. "It can still hear the screaming. You held on too long. As I told Merlin, even a touch can drive a person mad."

Morgana fell to her knees. Without hesitation Arthur swiftly moved forward and retrieved Dima from where Morgana had dropped it. A golden aura formed around the blade, recognizing Arthur as its true wielder. He then pointed its tip at his sister.

"That won't be necessary." Clemence came to stand beside him. Her cold hand rested on his, making him lower the sword. "She has what she deserves." Arthur looked at his sister again and saw what the young ghost meant.

Morgana stared into nothingness. Her mind had been completely overpowered by Dima's visions. She would never move or speak again. She would no longer be a threat to Albion.

Seeing that their leader had been overpowered, her army of sorcerers quickly dispersed. Leaving their mistress still kneeling on the wooden floor, completely helpless.

The threat to their destinies had been vanquished; they could now turn their attention to the slowly fading life that lay in Gwen's arms. They hurried back to his side.

"I'm sorry Gwen but I'm going to have to ask you to let go." Clemence spoke soothingly to the weeping Queen. She reluctantly placed her friend back down on the floor and backed away.

Clemence knelt where Gwen had been. With one of her hands she took Benedicts free hand and with the other she took Merlin's limp one. They closed their eyes and in unison the phantoms began to chant. Their eyes fluttered as they spoke the incantation, showing only glimpses of their eyes glowing different colours. But the colours were not gold. Benedicts eyes flashed an electric blue and his sister's flashed orange, like fire. They began to rock back and forth as they chanted.

Gaius did not recognize the words they were using. They weren't from any spell he had heard. They sounded old and dark, older even then the old religion. No one alive could perform such magic. But these children were not alive, not anymore.

There was however one sentence they spoke that Gaius did recognize. Tears came to his eyes as he remembered the translation. Komdu aftur til okkar. Come back to us.

**I've killed Merlin! *screams* Haven't I?**

**The sentence is Icelandic. Had to update this chapter because I translated it wrong. Hope that its right this time.**

**Thank you for reading and please REVIEW!**

**I love my OCs so I might secretly slip them into some of my other stories. See if you can find them.**

**How do you think its going to end? Please send me your thoughts to give me ideas.**


	5. Time

**Here is the last chapter. I hope you have enjoyed it.**

Time

Merlin was lying in the middle of a white room. He blinked several times, at first not sure if what he was seeing was only his eyes playing tricks on him. Where was he?

The floor looked solid but it didn't feel that way. In fact it didn't feel like anything at all. Merlin ran his hand across the surface, but he couldn't feel anything. It was like he was lying on air.

Slowly Merlin got to his feet and stared into the bright whiteness that seemed to go on forever. Each direction looked exactly the same so he closed his eyes and span around in a circle. He started to feel dizzy so he stopped. When he had steadied himself he opened his eyes. Still nothing but whiteness, but it was better then nothing. So Merlin began to walk.

Everything looked the same. He could be walking upside down for all he knew. Finally after, what seemed to be, almost an hour of walking Merlin stopped.

"Hello?" He called out. "Is anyone there?" No response. He was alone, alone in the middle of nothingness. There was no one else and there might not even be a way out.

Seeing that there was nothing else to do, Merlin began to walk again in a direction there was no name for. He walked for what felt like days, maybe even longer.

Just when he was about to give up, lay down and let his mind slip away, a dark spot came into view somewhere in the distance. Merlin's eyes focused in on it. It was the only thing other then whiteness that he had seen in days. Filled with newfound hope, Merlin began to run towards the spot. Even though he had been walking for days he wasn't tired. His legs carried him far.

The dark spot in the distance grew larger, then split into two, then three different spots. They grew larger and were given more detail the closer Merlin got to them. He wasn't thinking properly. The buzz of seeing something else in this place had rid his mind of all sense. Then the sense came flooding back to him, hitting him like a roadblock. He stopped.

What if these figures were not friendly? What if they were dangerous? Hope died inside him as he thought of these questions. Why did he have to kill his own hope?

Merlin looked down at what he guessed was the ground. When he looked up again the figures were closer, but he hadn't moved. Confusion crossed him. He blinked and again they were closer. From the details he could see, he could make out that there were two men and a woman, just standing there.

Their stances made it look like they were waiting. Waiting for what, for him?

Merlin blinked once more and again they had closed the distance between them a little more. Something about them seemed familiar. Was it the woman's beautiful dark hair, the younger man's grin, or the older man's sad eyes?

Merlin tapped the side of his head as if perhaps that would help him place where he had seen these three people before. Oh, who were they? Closing his eyes he racked his mind to remember.

"Merlin." A soft familiar voice called him from his forgetfulness and into remembering. Yes, he did know who they were.

"Merlin." Another voice called his name. His eyes burst open as the memories came rushing back to him. Oh, how he had missed them.

"Merlin." The third voice called him once more. He looked at each of their faces individually, trying to take in all that they were.

"Freya? Will? Father?" Merlin mouthed in disbelief. How could this be? How could they be here? They couldn't, and yet they were, standing just in front of him. They were only a few feet away; so close he could almost reach out and touch them.

He took a step forward, reaching out. He was ready to run to them. His friend, the girl he loved, and the man he knew to be his father. His feet ached to run to meet them and leave everything else behind. But a slim hand rapped itself around his left wrist stopping him in his tracks.

"No Merlin, don't go." The hands owner implored him. Slowly he turned around to face the one who had stopped him from going to his lost loved ones. Merlin caught his breath at the sight before him.

The last time he had seen her she had been pale and frail. But the girl who stood before him stood tall. Her golden locks fell to her shoulders and her cheeks were rosy. She was filled with colour. The gown she wore was long and looked like it had been made from the feathers of every bird that had or ever would exist. She looked up at him, the smile on her face was sad. That part of her had not changed.

"Clemence?" Merlin asked, even though the evidence before him was flawless. "But…"

"I'm dead, remember?" A cold chill ran through him as he did. The words seemed so normal for her to say but so inhuman for him to hear.

"What are you doing here when you could be walking amongst the living?"

"What do you think I am doing here?" She answered with another question, but seeing his blank features she answered for him. "We are repaying a debt."

With her words the memories of what had happened to him resurfaced. He stumbled a little but Clemence's firm grip on his wrist steadied him.

"So am I dead?" He asked, fearing what he might hear.

"No." She said simply. "Not yet."

"What do you mean not yet?"

"You are still here, in the in between place. But stay here much longer and you will become like Benedict and I."

Merlin looked back to Will, Freya and his father. They all wore smiles, happy to see him again. But their smiles did not meet their eyes.

"It is not your time." Freya said, tears forming in your eyes. Even though her words were sad Merlin was glad to hear her voice after so long.

"Go back son." His father told him firmly.

"I don't want to be seeing you around here for a long time you hear." Will smirked. Then they vanished. Merlin laughed softly. At least he was able to see them again.

"They will be here for you when your true time comes." She explained.

"I know they will." And he did. He looked back to Clemence, and blinked. Was he seeing things or was Clemence aging?

The form of the young girl before him flickered between three images. She was either the young girl Merlin had first met in the castle of Shades, an old woman, or a beautiful lady. Clemence changed between these three, finally deciding to stick with the beautiful lady.

Merlin had to take a step back. When he said beautiful it was really an understatement. Her golden hair now came down past her shoulders. So is this what she would have looked like if she had been allowed to live longer, if her life had not been cut short?

"You must go back Merlin." Her voice was more mature.

"How?"

"Listen, can you hear them?" She asked. Merlin listened. Even though neither of them were speaking there was still noise, mutterings. The voices grew louder and more distinguished.

"Merlin!" They yelled at him.

"Stay with us Merlin."

"You have so much explaining to do, you can't go yet."

"We need you Merlin." The voices kept repeating his name as if they were worried he might forget it.

"Don't leave." The voices came closer, almost as if the people who were speaking them were right next to him. For a moment the white room became a dark hall but changed back in an instance.

"They are waiting for you." A deep voice came from behind Clemence. Merlin looked behind her to see a tall man, as tall as him, come towards them with a grin on his face.

"Benedict?" Merlin was shocked. The man didn't say anything but engulfed Merlin in a bear hug. Clemence giggled at the sight.

The older Benedict put him down and took a step back but his grin was not as large as before. "Go back."

"But I don't know how." He complained. Suddenly Clemence was before him. She had her hands on either side of his face. Staring deeply into his eyes.

"All you have to do is listen." She breathed. "Close your eyes and listen." Standing on her tip tows she lent forward and placed a soft kiss on Merlin's forehead.

"Will you be there when I open them?" He asked in hope. Clemence broke eye contact and stared down at the ground, but she did not remove her hands from his face.

"No." Benedict answered for her, as she was unable to answer his simple question. "Our time amongst the living has come to an end."

"Why?" Clemence's hands dropped from his face but Merlin grasped them with his, not willing to let go.

"We made a promise." Benedict explained. "You have upheld your part of the bargain, now it is our turn." He placed his hands on his sister's shoulders for comfort. "You are in your time of need. We are giving you the last of our life force."

"No!" Merlin cried.

"Its ok." Clemence finally found her voice. "We have waited for the day when the one would come to claim the sword that we protected with our lives. That day has come and now we are free. You have done us a service."

"Do not fret. This is what we want."

"I don't want you to go." Merlin hadn't known Clemence and Benedict for very long, only a few days, but he had become attached to the apparitions. What they had been through was more then anyone should ever go through. They had been stuck half alive and half dead for a hundred years but he still could not part with them. "You can't leave."

Clemence lifted one of her soft hands once more to caress Merlin's face. She brushed away a few tears that were falling from his eyes. The feathers of her dress brushed his skin. Her touch was soothing. As she wiped away his tears she began to hum a song. Merlin gasped slightly as he recognized it. It was the same one he had been humming before he had started the incantation to reveal the young ghost.

"We have to go." Benedict removed his hands from his sister's shoulders. "Our time is up and they are waiting for us."

But Clemence did not want to go just yet. There was one more then she had to do. Merlin did too so he rapped her in his arms for their silent goodbye.

Clemence slowly pushed herself away and began to walk past Merlin into the whiteness. She still had a hold of one of his hands. As she passed his ear she whispered, "Thank you."

Merlin held on as long as he could before her slender hand slipped from his. His tears fell in silence, without Clemence there to wipe them away. He let them fall.

He looked back once more to see what had become of them. He saw that they had transformed back into the forms they had died in. Hand in hand they were running towards two adults, they had their arms open wide to them. Merlin could only guess who they were as the children launched themselves into their parent's arms.

For a moment the children too looked back and waved. Merlin smiled and closed his eyes. The voices came to him once more. They came closer and closer until they were too loud. The deafening sound forced his eyes open and he found himself lying on the wooden floor of the throne room. Gwen was cradling him in her arms. There were gasps of relief all around him and he knew that everything was going to be all right.

Tears soaked the cheeks of everyone there. They were all wiping them away as the danger was over. But Merlin did not wipe his away. He let them fall, still remembering Clemence's soft touch as she had wiped them away.

From that moment on no one ever questioned Arthur of being the once and future King. With Dima at his side he ruled over all of Albion as their greatest king.

Arthur never lived up to the agreement he had made with Morgana. When the sword had chosen him he had not banished her from Camelot never to return. Instead he took her in. She lived in her old room.

Morgana's mind was shattered and Arthur did not have the heart to throw her out, so he took care of her. The old Morgana was still in there somewhere. She never spoke or moved again. Her eyes stared blankly out the window from her chair.

Arthur had been distant for a few days after discovering his best friend's secret but he eventually came around and made him court Sorcerer, I mean Warlock.

But even years later Merlin could still hear the laughter of Clemence and Benedict from the scene he had seen from their past of them playing in the rain. Finally they were at peace. He would never forget them.

And time. Time is everything. What does it mean you ask? Well now there is the question, the question that we all must face in the end. What did our time mean to us? Every second of our lives the one thing that remains constant is time. Slowly, very slowly our time ticks down until we have no time left. And then…time…stops.

**Thank you for reading and please Review.**

**This is the first fanfic I have completed.**

**Should I write a prequel about what happened to Benedict and Clemence before they died? The pole is on my profile. **

**I am writing another story so if you like this on please read that one as well. It is called Always.**

**Thanks again for sticking with me and the reviews I have gotten are awesome. You guys are the best.**


	6. House of Cards

**Here is an extra chapter which is Part 1 of a preview to a story I am planning on writing call "Puppets".**

**Part 2 will be at the end of my story "Always".**

**Hope you read and enjoy.**

House of Cards

Part 1

A tall-cloaked figure slipped through a large metal door as silently as he could. Before enouncing his presence to the hunched figure tucked in the corner, he looked around the room. He had been in here many times but still it left him in awe. The entire room was carved out of obsidian. The shiny stone reflected the contents of the room, which wasn't much.

He saw himself there distorted on the wall. He was pretty ugly to begin with but even he had to admit the reflection he saw looking back at him was monstrous. His hood was down so his cleanly shaven head could be seen. His face was covered in burns and scars.

His face had once been handsome but over time it had been marred by war and sacrifice. Not even he remembered the face he was born with and the time before a sword was thrust into his hands.

He shook his head, tearing his eyes away from the hideous face on the wall. He turned his attention back to the hunched figure on the other side of the room. The person didn't flinch when the metal door closed tightly behind the man.

"Milady?" He cleared his throat.

Slowly she turned around. She was covered in furs and bones of dead animals hung around her neck and from her ears. He furs weighed her frail old body down, causing her to move at a snail's pace. The bones clinked together as she moved like the beads of a necklace.

The scarred man had grown used to her unsettling appearance, even her long yellow nails that jutted out like claws from the ends of her fingers didn't send a shiver up his spine anymore.

The old woman said nothing, waiting for him to relay his message. Her lips were pursed in a way that suggested she hadn't smiled in a very long time, and her beady eyes stared out at him. He noted that she had traded the wolf's head for a dragon's head that she now wore as a headdress.

"Well?" She finally croaked out.

"We have located the children." He spoke quickly.

"So you found them." She rasped, straightening a little. "But did you catch found?"

He smiled then. "No one escapes me, especially not in death. I put them where you commanded. They won't be able to get away now."

The room was silent for a moment as she processed the information. Then, very slowly, her pursed lips widened and parted into a toothy grin. Her mouth was filled with hundreds of pointy teeth, making the smile even more menacing.

She flicked her right hand towards the scarred man, rattling the bones that were wrapped around her wrist. Understanding the signal, he bowed and silently left the room, leaving his Lady alone.

As soon as the large metal door closed behind him she turned back to the obsidian wall. But it wasn't her image reflected there. Instead she saw the face of a young boy, clutching a sword wrapped in a brown cloth tightly to his chest. She reached out her bony and, stroking the image. Then she wavered her hand over the surface and the scene changed and she was now looking at a young girl, older then the boy, with curly golden hair that fell to her shoulders.

The old woman cackled to herself. She had been looking for these two for a very long time, now they finally in her grasp and she had no intention of letting them go. She planned to make them run through the scenes of that fateful day a hundred years ago. They would run and keep running until she told them to stop, but she would never tell them to stop. Nowhere inside her was there a single speck of mercy to be found.

"Welcome to my house of cards." Her voice was crackly. One of her long bony fingers traced the girl's young face, her nail scratching across the surface of the wall.

"Are you ready to play the game?"

**Thanks for reading and please REVIEW!**

**Hope you read "Puppets" when it comes out.  
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